Our Lord Jesus Was Bruised for Our Iniquities

     By A.W. Tozer

    He was wounded for our transgressions, he
     was bruised for our iniquities. . . . Isaiah 53:5
 

       The word "iniquity" is not a good word - and God
     knows how we hate it!  But the consequences of iniquity
     cannot be escaped.

        The prophet reminds us clearly that the Saviour was
     bruised for our iniquities.

        We deny it, and say  "No!", but the fingerprints of all
     mankind are plain evidence against us - the fingerprints
     of man found in every dark cellar and in every alley and
     in every dimly lighted evil place throughout the world.
     God knows man from man, and it is impossible to escape
     our guilt and place our moral responsibility upon
     someone else.

        For our iniquities and our transgressions He was
     bruised and wounded - and Israel's great burden and
     amazing blunder was her judgment that this wounded
     one on the hillside beyond Jerusalem was being
     punished for His own sin!

        The prophet foresaw this historic error in judgment,
     and he himself was a Jew, saying: "We thought He was
     smitten of God.  We thought that God was punishing
     Him for His own iniquity for we did not know then that
     God was punishing Him for our transgressions and our
     iniquities."

        For our sakes.  He was profaned by ignorant and
     unworthy men!
      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Yours in Christ,
        Paul N. F.